


a place for you

by shokudaikiri



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, also teenage boys casually flirting, im so emo rn, so is leo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-25 22:42:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4979431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shokudaikiri/pseuds/shokudaikiri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsukasa thinks Leo is selfish. That's fine, because Leo thinks Leo is selfish too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a place for you

**Author's Note:**

> "Tonight I've fallen and I can't get up, I need your loving hands to come and [pick me up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT-CcHE1MNY)."
> 
> i changed the order of their names in the tag oops

The King is finally back, now for real, and regrets it more than ever.

Not that Knights had ostracized him—they welcomed back with open arms. Warily, yes, but they were understanding and accepting. It hurt him more to see them so willing to take him back. In the first place, he was stupid to expect that everything would be the same as how he left it months ago. Knights was still the same people, but _different_. When their shameful leader disappeared, everyone expected them to fall into disarray, but they held on, creating bonds and sharing experiences he wasn’t there to see.

Knights wants him back, but he can’t accept it.

This isn’t the old Knights. _His_ Knights. It’s _their_ Knights now.

It was stupid when Arashi organized that tiny little welcome-back party. It’s not his Knights anymore, and there’s no place for him.

No one had replaced him as a leader. Knights had bravely fought without their King, and still thrived without him. Perhaps kings weren’t meant to understand the feelings of their subjects.

Inside he was itching to yell at all of them to be less soft, that they had no right to forgive him for being a selfish idiot, but ever deeper inside his heart he wanted nothing more than to be a part of Knights again, so he selfishly accepted their offer.

He closes his eyes, dreaming up a tune of confusion and guilt.

 

* * *

 

 

Tsukasa notices that his music is missing, so he decides to backtrack and visit everywhere he’s been that day to see if he can find it.

He did not expect to see Leo slumped over, fast asleep in a chair at the studio.

Their fight was only a few days ago, and Tsukasa has absolutely no clue how to respond here. Should he wake him up? Maybe their leader was just tired and wanted to nap. Should he just look for his sheet music quietly and then go? Then again, perhaps he didn’t mean to fall asleep in such a place and might want to be woken up.

There’s no etiquette handbook that make the answer to Tsukasa’s dilemma clear.

He decides to just leave Leo alone, because if someone is irresponsible to fall asleep where he shouldn’t, he’ll learn to be more responsible after he misses something important. A little mean of Tsukasa, yes, but he’s doing Leo a favour in the long run.

A minute of searching and he doesn’t see his music, so Tsukasa is ready to just try somewhere else. He’s stopped in his tracks seeing Leo sleep so peacefully. Even chronic troublemakers like him have such serene faces while asleep.

After the outcome of their passionate battle, Tsukasa never really knew what to say to him. The other three members of Knights welcomed their former leader back. He felt a little out of place, but intended to form a bond with their leader as strong as those that his fellow members had. Except their leader acted almost as if nothing happened, that he didn’t just disappear for a few months, that he didn’t have an honest heart-to-heart clash with Tsukasa, and still couldn’t get Tsukasa’s name right.

Tsukasa feels frustrated. Frustrated enough to murmur out loud, “Why are you like this.”

Leo doesn’t stir.

Feeling a surge of irritation, Tsukasa crosses his arms, and glares at the sleeping figure. He keeps his voice barely above a whisper.

“Did you challenge me for nothing? Did it not matter to you in the end?”

His words come spilling out, his pent-up emotions uncontrollable. “I admired you. Some people said you ran away like a coward, but I believed in you, because Izumi-kun said you were a good guy at heart.”

Izumi, who never failed to criticize everyone he met, softened up when it came to Leo.

“I heard stories about your amazing talent. You didn’t disappoint me there. The way your music flows so marvelously… it swept me away.”

Tsukasa’s voice cracks a little.

“I… you. You’re so selfish, leader. You don’t even try to profit off of your talent, and I thought at first you were so admirable for doing so. But you don’t pour the same amount of love into Knights as you do with your music. Because you’re always in your own world, your own little genius bubble, and you don’t think about the feelings of the people around you.”

“Actually,” he pauses, before accidentally letting his voice rise. “I thought that you were just like me. Sometimes people tell me I don’t know how regular people feel, because I was born into a wealthy family. And… it’s true,” he admits reluctantly. “I accept that though, and I work hard to learn more, about commoners, about society, about _the people around me_. You don’t even do that. You tell me you feel regretful for your actions, but here you are, not taking anything remotely serious, not even our feelings.”

It wasn’t like him to lose his temper, but it wasn’t every day that he had to deal with someone like Leo.

“I hate it,” he spits out bitterly. “You… I could tell that Knights was so important to you. Why are you acting like it isn’t? Or do you really not care? What even is the truth, I want to know. I’m scared that I put my faith in you again, and you’ll break it. Again.”

“I didn’t know you at first. I can only blame myself for being naïve and placing you on a pedestal. But this time, you so earnestly told me how you felt about Knights, and yet you’re here, acting like nothing happened, like everything’s fine. Everyone tells me that my life was handed to me on a silver platter, but even I understand that I can’t brush over mistakes. Where is our apology? How are you showing us that you really care, that you really won’t just—run off again?”

He’s pretty much forgotten that he didn’t want to wake Leo, and he’s almost shouting. Leo doesn’t move though, and that fills him with both anger and relief.

Leo never listens, anyway.

Tsukasa thinks, that it was also his own fault for not being upfront about it. Even now, he couldn’t say what he wanted to say without shouting it at Leo’s sleeping figure. It’s okay though. If Leo didn’t hear, he’ll just tell him again one day. How angry he feels. He’ll probably proofread his rant later to make it sound more polite.

He looks at his leader for a few more seconds, before he storms out of the room. Only twenty feet away from the door, he leans on the wall and lets himself fall to the floor, feeling regret pool in his stomach. Leo probably had his own reasons for being like he is now. Tsukasa shouldn’t have just assumed things on his own, because isn’t that the exact reason why his heart was crushed before? It’s not fitting for a wealthy, educated young master to be burying his face in his knees in the hallway of a school after-hours, but his own emotions disgust him more than the idea of being seen looking so pathetic.

Silence for a few seconds, and then Tsukasa is snapped out of his self-pity by the sound of shuffling noises and a loud bang, from the direction the studio was in.

Oh no.

 

* * *

 

Actually, he wasn’t even asleep. He just wasn’t in the mood to talk, and thought that whoever came into the room would just leave, after getting what they got, and then he could stop pretending to be asleep. He certainly didn’t expect them to speak. Not so bitterly at least.

He didn’t flinch outwardly, but his heart practically stopped for a second.

That was the newbie’s voice. The one who demanded that he be a responsible leader, while the other three just shrugged and accepted that their leader was just irresponsible.

Leo pretends to sleep through the entire spiel, though by the end he’s not sure if he’s trembling in his seat or not. He prays that it’s just his shaken heart, and that the kid would just leave him alone already.

And when he thinks the guy has left, he opens his eyes.

The tears just spill out. His heart is so unsteady he thinks he might just collapse. He has to leave. He has to stop being selfish and just tell everyone he doesn’t deserve to be here, that they’ll be fine without him. He’ll leave for real this time.

He tries to get up from his chair, and only succeeds in tripping over the leg and tipping the chair over, both coming to the floor with a loud crash.

And if he isn’t feeling terrible enough already, the first-year boy is standing in the doorway, eyes full of terror and concern, all traces of hatred gone.

In fact, the boy even runs over and _tries to help him up._ “Leader? Leader, are you alright—”

Instinctively, he bats away his helping hand. And regrets it immediately after seeing the boy making that kind of wounded expression. He’s used to playing the bad guy, but he still feels guilty as hell. How pathetic. He tears his eyes away and pulls himself out from under the chair.

The newbie is quiet. Now it’s Leo’s turn to be angry.

“Isn’t it pathetic, that Knight’s king has so easily fallen from his throne?” he scoffs, daring the newbie to say something.

He looks so startled by that question, and hurriedly insists, “No, we all stumble out of chairs sometimes, I myself have—”

“Cut the crap, kid, you know what I’m talking about,” Leo cuts in, looking accusingly at him.

His eyes widen, probably in realization that Leo heard him talking earlier, and from the horrified look on his face, Leo also assumes that he probably noticed his red eyes.

Leo doesn’t give him a chance to say anything though. “Don’t make that face. I deserved it. Actually, I happen to agree with you. I’m selfish. I’m a coward. None of you should trust me but you’re being so sickly sweet about welcoming me back I couldn’t refuse you.”

After brushing his hands off on his pants, he stands up, looking at the speechless newbie face-to-face. “I’ll tell them to thank you for bringing me to my senses. It’ll be better for Knights in the long run. You’re still green but you’ll make a good leader, one day.”

Leo just looks down at the floor and starts to make his way to the door, but then the boy scrambles and blocks the door with his body.

“What…are you saying? After we go through that challenge just to prove to you that Knights was strong enough for you, you want to just _leave_?” he demands.

What an idealistic young boy, just like himself when he was a little younger. Two hundred yen says he joined Knights because he was captivated by the idea of being noble and chivalrous. Leo just hopes this guy doesn’t make the same mistake he did. He grabs the boy’s wrist and tries to gently push it out of his way. “Strong enough to be without me. I don’t have a place here anymore anyway. Let me go.”

“No.” He only tightens his grip on the doorframe.

The sheer determination reflected in his eyes actually scares Leo a little.  Is this the same guy who just called him out for being generally terrible?

“You said it yourself, newbie. I don’t deserve to be the leader of Knights.”

Now he looks angry. “When did I ever say that? I did say that before out match. But I understood, that you really do care about Knights—”

“I don’t, okay, newbie? I don’t care,” Leo spits out, just tired of this. He wants to go. He wants Knights to be the amazing group he could never make it.

“My name is _Tsukasa,_ ” the boy surprisingly demands out of nowhere. But he doesn’t budge.

“Alright then, _Tsukasa,_ let me out. I said it. You figured it out. I was just trying to kill some time, catch up with friends. Knights isn’t important to me. Maybe the individual people, but I don’t really care about this anymore. Just let me go,” Leo snaps, feeling his heart twist with each of his own words. It’s okay, when he’s gone, Knights can finally let go of the past. Izumi, this guy, everyone else are all good people. They’ll get far for sure, and make Knights something beautiful, something far more beautiful than what a selfish king could ever imagine.

Tsukasa looks so hurt, and Leo thinks he might finally let him go. But his reply only confuses Leo further. “I can tell you're lying. People tell me I’m not very perceptive—”

“There you go again, rich kids love making things about themselves, don’t they?” Leo cuts in.

“—Yes, and I need to fix that flaw,” he firmly replies. “You’re making this all about you too, though. You keep saying ‘I’m not good enough’ this and ‘I’m selfish’ that. You’re so selfish you keep saying you’re selfish, as if that’s the only thing that matters.”

That… doesn’t make any sense at all. Leo just stares blankly at him.

Tsukasa decides to continue speaking after a couple seconds of silence. “Look, you’re doing it again. You’re getting caught up in your own feelings. You keep saying that you don’t deserve to be in Knights. Have you even though about how we feel? How hard we fought, not just to prove that we could fight, but to show you that we wanted our leader back?”

“Wow, you just pointed out my flaws again! I don’t know why you keep trying to get me stay when we both agree that I’m self-centered,” Leo hotly snaps, feeling more riled up than ever. “What kind of person criticizes someone they’re trying to convince to stay, honestly?”

Why is he trying so hard, anyway? Wasn’t he the one who kept complaining about how lazy and unhelpful Leo was as a leader? He didn’t even know Leo before this. He has no business saying that he understands how Leo feels about Knights.

“Because,” Tsukasa raises his voice, “You’re Knights’ beloved leader. Our leader. _My_ leader. It’s my responsibility as your follower to tell you when you’re stepping off the right path.”

That’s enough to hit a switch in his heart. He always was worrying he was _needed_ for Knights. He never considered if Knights _wanted_ him. And the sight of this upstart first-year, who thinks that he knows Leo so well despite being acquainted for only several days, trying so hard to make him understand that, is enough.  Leo feels like the world is falling and crushing his shoulders right now. He releases Tsukasa and just sighs. Wordlessly, he picks up the chair he tipped up and just sits in it, before burying his face in his hands.

Tsukasa watches him in silence, both of them panting heavily.

“You’re an idiot,” Leo looks up and finally manages to say.

“You’re a bigger idiot,” Tsukasa replies indignantly.

Leo starts laughing, but Tsukasa just walks over and stoops down to hug him. He doesn’t try to fight it, because it’s probably better if the first-year didn’t see tears streaming down his leader’s face.

“Leader, you’re stupid. You didn’t have a place in the Knights as of a week ago. The Knights then were a bunch of wandering souls looking for something to protect. But now, Knights is different. We’re a new Knights. One with a king that we serve loyally. We made a place for you, and it’s your responsibility to take it.”

He’s shaking a little, but ends up returning Tsukasa’s embrace, clutching onto the back on his underclassman’s shirt. “What a spoiled brat. I bet your maids read you romantic fairy tales every night before bed,” Leo mumbles, trying his best to control his voice.

“You’re right, I’m Knights’ spoiled brat,” Tsukasa replies nonchalantly. Leo could almost hear the smile in his voice. “The baby of the group. I sincerely hope though, that my upperclassmen can teach me well.”

Leo doesn’t let go of him for a while.

 

* * *

 

 

“Oh ho, you two are looking lively this morning,” Arashi comments wryly.

“Get a room already,” Izumi demands, making a face.

Tsukasa looks at him quizzically. “We have a room. This is the studio. It’s ours, isn’t it?”

Izumi actually looks offended. “No, no, another room. Get another room so we don’t have to see you being so kissy-kissy constantly.”

“What!” Tsukasa yells indignantly. “There is nothing kissy-kissy about this.”

Leo yawns. His head is comfortably situated in Tsukasa’s lap as he scribbles his newest compositions into his notepad. Meanwhile, Tsukasa had been reading a novel he brought from home to kill time with.

Izumi makes a disgusted face and looks at Arashi. “That’s totally kissy-kissy. Look at that. Tell them to get a room already.”

“Nonsense,” Tsukasa says, trying to defend himself. “Do you not know that in America to increase productivity, people lay in each others’ laps?”

Arashi and Izumi look at each other, then at Leo.

Izumi snorts. “What the hell have you been teaching him?”

Leo innocently replies, “What? I am more productive this way. Tsuda-kun’s lap is so comfortable, I can write so much faster than usual.”

“It’s _Tsukasa,_ Leader.” He doesn't even look angry that he was tricked into doing this.

“Hey, didn’t I tell you to call me Leo?” he pouts, looking upwards accusingly. “’Leader’ is so cold and stuffy. I don’t wanna be like that Emperor who just uses everyone.”

“Don’t be a hypocrite, you can’t even get my name right,” he glares, tapping Leo once on the head with the book.

“Fine, fine…. _Tsukasa_.”

Tsukasa smiles so sweetly. “Thank you, _Leo_.”

Izumi makes a gagging noise, and Arashi laughs heartily. Ritsu is asleep, as always.

At the corner of his notepad, Leo writes in the tiniest handwriting he can muster, “I hope Knights can stay like this forever.”


End file.
